College Tip of the Week #15: Financial Aid

Paying for college can be quite the challenge, especially when your family has other important costs to pay off. The national increases in unemployment and harsh conditions created by COVID-19 only exemplify this challenge, which is why applying for financial aid is so important.

No matter who you are, you should apply for financial aid. Whether you consider your family wealthy or impoverished, applying for financial aid is free and will give you opportunities to received need-based financial aid and even scholarships at the college you attend.

The FAFSA form (or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens on October 1. All colleges use information from this form to determine the financial aid their students receive, and the form will be sent to the schools that you indicate when applying. It is a good idea to add the colleges you are most likely to apply for first, because you can only add 10 initially (you can add more later). Keep in mind that this form takes multiple hours to complete, so you should get to it as soon as you can. Though you have until January 15 to complete the FAFSA, you will want to submit it early in October to make sure you get the amount of financial aid that you need. The earlier you complete the form, the potentially higher amount of aid you can receive.

Some colleges also require the CSS Profile on CollegeBoard’s website, which provides you the ability to receive additional college financial aid based on your specific school. Make sure you determine if the schools you are applying to require the CSS profile, or complete it just in case!

For more information on the FAFSA application process, visit the Federal Student Aid Website: